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One Prime Day: Benefit Products

Hi everybody! Remember the haul video I posted last month? I had picked up a little set of mini Benefit products from Sephora for $10 called "One Prime Day". I had received a lot of requests for reviews on the Porefessional, so I figured this way I could sample a couple other products as well for a good price.

The sizes are very small... .25 fl. oz. of That Gal and the Porefessional, and .09 fl. oz. of Stay Don't Stray. They came packaged all together in this cute box! FYI... I had to look online for details on each product- the box didn't include any information beyond the product names and ingredients.

"That Gal" Brightening Face Primer... This primer is light pink in color, and is supposed to brighten the skin. It has the texture of a lightweight moisturizer, and didn't dry to the silky smooth finish I'm used to with primers. This didn't do much to even out my skin's texture, and I also didn't notice any brightening. There isn't any "glow" or shimmer in this product, so I guess it was just designed to brighten due to its light pink tint. Overall, this did nothing for me. I've come to expect a smooth finish from a primer that makes my foundation glide on more evenly... this didn't really do that.

The POREfessional Pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores... This skin-toned product can be used under or over makeup, and has the silky-smooth finish I was expecting "That Gal" to have. Definitely not a greasy feel, but just a lovely satiny texture that gave my skin a very even feel before applying foundation. My problem area for pores would have to by my nose, and a little bit on the top of my cheeks on either side of my nose. And when I used this under my makeup, I didn't see much of a difference. I don't have enormous pores, and maybe I was just looking too closely, but this didn't do much to minimize their appearance. BUT- when I used this OVER my makeup, I noticed more of an effect. However at that point, the POREfessional had the help of a layer of foundation/concealer/powder and whatever else I put on. I didn't necessarily even need the POREfessional at that point, but with a few inches between me and my mirror, I could tell a slight difference- as if someone just slightly blurred finish of my skin. Due to the creamy nature of this product, I don't know that I'd want to slather it all over a full face of makeup, but dotted around my nose, it did ok.

Stay Don't Stray- Stay put primer for concealers & eyeshadows... This product is a thin, almost liquid-like formula. It's light beige in color and provides some coverage as you apply it on your eyelids. It takes care of any discoloration, so you have a nice blank canvas for your eyeshadow. I had no problems with staying power when I used this- it worked really well. It wasn't until I really read the back of the box that I realized this was also a primer for concealer! Interesting concept... I haven't tried that yet, and I'm not sure I really need a separate primer for my concealer (how many layers of product do I really want under my eyes?)

left to right: "That Gal", the POREfessional, and Stay Don't Stray

Here are some swatches of each product, so you can sort of get an idea of their consistency. Again, "That Gal" feels sort of like a moisturizer, the POREfessional is like a silky mattifying balm... both have a colorless appearance when you blend them in. Stay Don't Stray has the most liquid texture, and continues to have a bit of light beige coverage when you blend it in. A little goes a long way on the eyelids.

The Bottom Line...

I wouldn't purchase any of these products again... not in the small size or a full size. "That Gal" just didn't do anything I want a primer to do. The POREfessional went on smooth, but I have lots of primers that go on smooth... and it didn't have a big impact on pores under makeup, and over makeup- there just wasn't much need for it. I think my Mally Poreless Face Defender is a more travel friendly product for touchups, and I like that it's more of a solid you can blot on- not something creamy you blend in. Stay Don't Stray is a great eye primer, but doesn't function any better than NYX HD Primer, which I can pick up for $7. As with all products, they don't work the same on everyone! So if you're curious about the POREfessional or any of the others- $10 isn't a huge price to pay to try them out. Just wanted to pass along my 2 cents on the products!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

My vacation ends tomorrow! It's been very relaxing and I've shot a lot of beauty videos that you'll be seeing in the near future.

Do indoor cats sense the need for their winter coat? Cupcake seems more furry than usual.

Mom left a lasagna for us to have & we're heating it up tonight for dinner. She makes the best lasagna!

I have to agree. I saw your Haul and couldn't wait to try these out. I honestly have to say I am not 100% happy with the results. I felt like I had to use so much more primer than I do with my Bare Essentials Primer, not to mention it did not wear as well. I am probably going to switch back to my Bare Esentuals primer unless something else comes my way.

I bought this too and I agree about evrything said! "That Gal" isnt "that great", and I also use the Porefessional around my nose. I love the primer though! I plan on doing a review of this soon on my blog for my readers as well :)vixenslovee.blogspot.com

I'm with you...I only have tried the "that Gal" of the ones in this kit and I just don't see the point. Unfortunately I think that Benefit spends more time on their beautiful packaging then on their product formulations. None of them wow me much.

Fantastic review! I love how you've covered everything I'd need to know about these products before heading out to buy them. Not that I'd even consider it now of course! I've always found the Benefit products to be a bit gimmicky... The ideas and packaging are great but there aren't any products that have impressed me so much that I'd repurchase :)

Bet you're glad you only got these ickle sizes instead of the bank-breaking full size bottles! ♥

I have the Stay Don't Stray and I would highly suggest using it as a primer for stick-like concealer. I use it under my photoready concealer and it goes on SO smoothly. It gives a great base and really does give that extra coverage. Top it off with a LITTLE elf hd powder and your under eyes are set all day with no creasing!!

I agree completely with your review Emily. I actually just bought this and have been really disappointed. I love benefit highbeam and creaseless cream eyeshadows. Actually all Benefit products I've tried, I love, but this was a severe disappointment and I will not be repurchasing the larger sizes. I was also disappointed at the tiny size of these.

Thanks for the post! Loved reading it, and I completely agree with you! Porefessional did not work for me at all, I was never happy with it, which is a pity as I love so many other benefit cosmetics! x

I absolutely agree with your thoughts on these products. I actually reviewed them a few weeks ago. "That Gal" I basically thought of as a pink moisturizer. THe "POREfessional" does have a more silky/satiny feel but wasn't anything groundbreaking. But as for "Stay Don't Stray," I found that my eyeshadow still creased, but I may have been using too much of the product. I also think it was too thin in consistency to really grab eyeshadow.

I got my makeup done at the benefit counter and the lady mixed "that gal" and "POREfessional" together and it made my skin look amazing! even without any makeup on at all. you should try it,you might get the same results!

Thanks for the last comment by anonymous about mixing the pore professional and the primer together. I thought it gave my skin a smooth finish and a bright look. I liked the products much better when they were combined.

I bought this over the weekend because I liked the $10 price tag on products I had never tried before. And btw, I had never tried anything from this brand before. I pretty much got the same results as you. And I used the Stay Don't Stray AS a concealer on accident, not realizing it was a primer. (duh!). I have since used it properly and think I'll stick with my UD primer potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Man, I wish I would have subscribed to your blog one week sooner. But hey, I'm only out $10 and I'm glad I was able to try new products.

I have a sample size of Stay Don't Stray, and it does not work for me at all. My eyeshadow creases like crazy in the AL humidity. I don't know if my eyelids are just too oily for the formula or if the formula is just too oily in general. I gave it to my mom. Maybe she can use it. I saw people were commenting that Benefit just isn't impressive at all, but I do think their BadGal lash is good. I doubt I'll repurchase it because I prefer my mascara to be of purer ingredients, but it's still a good mascara.